Video: 150,000 copies of the next issue of Wired will have a Moto X ad that changes colors

BY Stefan Constantinescu

Published 20 Dec 2013

Nokia may have started the whole phone customization thing by letting you buy different shells, but Motorola took things to completely different level with the Moto X. The handset maker lets you pick the color of the front of your phone, the back of your phone, the volume buttons, the power button, and even the accent around the camera. This is possible thanks to Motorola’s factory in Texas, which ironically used to belong to Nokia. You order your custom Moto X from a website, it’ll get assembled there, and then it’ll finally be shipped to you.

Now you and I have known about the Moto X customizations for months, but what about the common folk? This is where Wired comes in. The monthly tech publication is going to produce 150,000 copies of their January issue that has a Moto X ad that’ll let you pick different Moto X colors. The tech behind it is actually very simple. It’s just a strip of colored LED lights, a battery, and a few buttons.

Will this ad campaign encourage Moto X sales? The very fact that I’m writing about an advertising campaign should tell you something right there. Expect media outlets you normally wouldn’t see talking about technology feature this magazine on their website or talk show as well. It’ll get a conversation going, but as for increasing sales …. your guess is as good as mine.